


Distance

by alecmagnuslwb



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25710175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb
Summary: Sometimes the space between Star City and Gotham seems like planets away.
Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Comments: 6
Kudos: 84





	Distance

**Author's Note:**

> Writer’s month day 4, prompt: Long Distance Relationship

Jason holds his side tenderly as he ambles into the safehouse. Nothing feels broken, but it hurts like hell and all he wants to do is take a hot shower and crawl in bed with Roy.

Sadly one of those things is not option so the shower alone will have to do.

Jason tosses his helmet over the back of the couch and makes his way around it gingerly avoiding the toy Lian had left on the floor. It’s been sitting there for weeks, Jason not bothering to pick it up since he’s become so used to walking around it.

He lets it lay there for the same reason he has yet to move Roy’s old t-shirt from the back of the couch. He misses them. He misses their presence and if leaving things exactly how they were the day they left for Star City makes him miss them a little less then that’s what he’ll do.

This Gotham safehouse just doesn’t feel like anything more than a safehouse without them there. Jason sighs flopping down onto the couch and regretting the way he bounces a little as he lands, an ache running through his ribs.

He moves around as little as he can taking off his leather jacket and unstrapping his guns. If Lian were here he’d ignore his aching ribs, suck it up and immediately put his guns in the safe, but since she isn’t leaving them on the coffee table so he can pass out on the couch for a while seems reasonable.

In theory he shouldn’t be so miserable, the pain of a few bruised ribs is nothing new and the summers always mean that Lian and Roy are gone. Summers are spent with the Arrows; Jason makes the trip out there once or twice if he can and spends the rest of his time keeping the scum of Gotham at bay that the other Bats miss or just don’t have the right style to handle.

The distance sucks, but he’s coping or at least he acts like he is when he talks on the phone with Roy almost every night or video chats to read Lian a bedtime story. He’s usually better at hiding it, but last night he’d been called out on his moping three separate times by Bruce and Damian. Bruce had just been slightly more delicate about it, not calling him a wimp like his little brother. The teasing however had led to him going out alone tonight, a thing he doesn’t do much these days, Roy almost always by his side.

Three years in with Roy and Lian and this little family they’ve built together and it should be easier to be apart by now, but somehow it’s more difficult. They’ve burrowed into his chest, his heart, his life and this safehouse they call home and it all feels emptier without them there.

Jason closes his eyes trying to not think about the big empty space and just rest for a few minutes. All he needs is a quick power nap before he gets up puts away his guns, takes a shower and collapses into the bed that’s far too big for one person.

He’s just on the precipice of sleep when he hears a shuffling sound upstairs.

He’s up in an instant, gun in hand as the sound of footsteps nears the metal spiral staircase. With no lights on the moon shining through the windows is the only thing illuminating the space, giving Jason still dressed in all black a cover of darkness. He crouches enough so that if need be he can use the couch as cover gun locked, loaded and ready.

The steps grow closer and Jason settles himself up just enough above the couch to have a decent shot when he recognizes the shadow expertly skipping the second to the last stair that always makes an awful squeaking metallic sound when hit.

“Jesus, Harper,” Jason says turning on the safety of his gun as he stands to his full height. Roy jumps, practically falling off the bottom stair. “I could’ve shot you.”

Roy turns hands in the air in surrender with a smile on his face.

“Sorry, didn’t hear you come in, fell asleep on the floor trying to pack some of Lian’s stuff back away.”

Jason holsters his gun and vaults himself over the back of the couch to get closer to Roy. He winces as he lands, his bruised ribs not loving the movement.

“You okay?” Roy asks nearing him. He reaches out batting Jason’s hand away from where he holds his ribs pulling up his shirt and undoing the clasps of his armor to get a look at Jason’s injuries.

“Not that I don’t love you getting me naked, but I’m fine I promise, just a little bruised,” Jason says not really making any effort to stop Roy as he gives him a sharp look and continues to strip away gear and push Jason’s shirt up to his pecs.

Roy runs his fingers carefully along the already dark and mottled spots.

“Rough night?” he asks.

“Ran into a pack of crazy Gotham hillbillies making meth down near the docks, there were more of them than I thought,” Jason explains. “You will be pleased to know after I shot one in the kneecap he moaned that he wished I was the arrow guy because that would probably hurt less.”

Roy chuckles still eyeing the bruises on Jason’s stomach. “Clearly he’s never taken an arrow to the knee then.”

“You sure nothing’s broken that looks pretty nasty?” he says fingers still gliding along the tender edges of the bruising. Jason closes his eyes for a second enjoying the touch, he’s felt touch starved for over a month now.

He nods in the affirmative and after a few more seconds of scrutiny Roy seems to believe him letting his shirt drop and moving his hands to settle on Jason’s hips.

“What are you doing here?” Jason asks as Roy pulls him in tipping their foreheads together.

“Dinah and Ollie got called away by Bats for some off-world Justice League thing and the demon brat called Emiko out for a Teen Titans mission, seemed like they were all gonna be gone for at least the rest of the week and I happened to miss you so thought I’d surprise you,” Roy explains quietly.

“Considering I almost shot you I’d say I was surprised,” Jason says reaching up his tired arms to rest on Roy’s shoulders.

Roy snorts. “Well that wasn’t the plan, we should have been here by dinner but then our flight got delayed and my phone died, we only got in about twenty minutes ago and despite her insistence she was going to stay up all night if she had to so she could see Jay Jay she passed out immediately, as did I despite my best effort.”

Jason smiles fondly his affection for the little girl who’s come to be his daughter just as much as Roy’s growing exponentially and impossibly greater every single day.

“I’m sure she’ll make up for it bright and early no doubt,” he smiles and leans back a little bit. He runs his fingers through Roy’s hair undoing the messy bun at the base of his neck, it’s getting long past his shoulders now and in desperate need of a cut.

“So how long do I get you for?” he asks pressing a kiss to Roy’s cheek before walking back over to the coffee table and picking up his guns.

Roy follows him as he heads over to the wall safe. He presses his thumb to the discreet panel next to the painting Alfred gifted them and it pops open revealing the safe.

“Well technically forever,” Roy grins as Jason turns the dial putting in the combination and popping open one of the seven safes they have to store weapons. “But in this immediate case four whole days. Then it’ll only be about two more weeks before schools back in and you won’t be able to get rid of us for months.”

Jason smiles as he double checks the safety on his guns before sitting them in the safe and sealing it tightly. He swivels back to face Roy as the painting shuts tightly back to the wall.

“Oh the horror,” Jason teases grabbing Roy’s hand and heading for the stairs. “We can do a whole lot in four days.”

Roy hums in agreement looking Jason up and down as they make their way up the stairs.

“But first I need a shower,” Jason says pulling away from Roy for a moment when they reach the top of the stairs to peek into Lian’s room. Space shapes play on the ceiling from her nightlight as she lays nestled into a million stuffed animals at the center of her bed.

Roy wraps his arms around him from behind pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder as they back away from the door.

“Want some company?” he asks pressing another, much slower kiss to Jason’s shoulder as he pulls Lian’s door closed.

“I always want your company,” he replies twisting around and out of Roy’s hold already pulling his shirt of over his head as he heads down the hall towards the bathroom attached to their bedroom. Roy’s footsteps pick up their pace behind him not wasting a second of the four days ahead of them.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [alecmagnuslwb](https://alecmagnuslwb.tumblr.com/)


End file.
